Discrimination and Marginalization in Society Today - Essay Sample

Introduction

There exist varied groups of people in society who have been isolated and made to feel unimportant. Such groups could be discriminated against based on race, culture, religion, gender, or social status. This essay will, therefore, discuss the social inequality and marginalization that exists in our society today by analyzing the socially constructed nature of race, class, and gender.

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Marginalization exists when people are alienated because of their race, class, or gender. A person's race is a creation of the society that classifies people in groups according to their skin color, ancestry, or hair texture. Individuals of a particular breed may be treated differently from the others; for example, in some communities, individuals of specific skin color may be denied privileges that others enjoy. Besides, human beings can also be grouped based on their social status. The members of the society belonging to the same social class are considered equal to each other. Also, some communities view women and men differently; for instance, men are trusted more with leadership roles in companies and organizations as compared to women (Haslanger, 2017).

There exists a close relationship between individuals and society as far as the shaping of social inequality is concerned. This relationship is interdependent in Individuals who need the community to survive, and culture cannot exist without people in it. It is, therefore, essential for Individuals to condemn the social disparities that exist among the people for the smooth progress of the society.

According to Socialists, bias existed as societies shifted from hunting and gathering societies to pastoralist and horticultural communities (Dahrendorf, 2017). Inequality was nonexistent in hunting and gathering societies, but with pastoralism and horticulture, there was more division of labor leading to differences among the people. In the past social inequality was practiced even before there was the establishment of settlements (Dahrendorf, 2017).

Sociological knowledge of inequality has a social justice implication since it makes people aware of their rights on equal ground (Burnes & Ross, 2010). These rights should be respected by every individual to ensure the peaceful coexistence and economic progress of society. Social justice implication on inequality is, therefore, essential so that people do not face discrimination based on their gender, class, or race.

References

Burnes, T. R., & Ross, K. L. (2010). Applying social justice to oppression and marginalization in-group process: Interventions and strategies for group counselors. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 35(2), 169-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933921003706014

Dahrendorf, R. (2017). On the origin of inequality among men. In Social Policy and Public Policy (pp. 41-51). Routledge.

Haslanger, S. (2017). Gender and social construction. Applied ethics: A multicultural approach, 299-307.